Commercial laundry machine with improved loading hopper

Abstract

A commercial laundry machine having a loading hopper effective for substantially reducing loading time. The hopper has a relatively large effective passage area for communication with a front opening rotary drum of the laundry machine, and a splash door is pivotally mounted adjacent a front face of the machine housing for movement between a lowered closed position and an upwardly extending open position which neither reduces the effective passage of the hopper chute nor impedes the passage of launderable items directed through the chute. The laundry machine further includes an improved toggle actuated locking and sealing device for securing the hopper in sealed relation with the machine housing, and trunnion mounted hydraulic cylinders which are effective for more reliably and effectively pivoting the hopper unit through an arc greater than 90 degrees to its removed position.

1 - 44 . (Canceled)  
   
   
       45 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a housing,    a drum rotatably mounted within said housing and having a circular front opening through which launderable items may be introduced and withdrawn    said housing and drum being tiltable between a horizontal operating position and a loading position with the circular drum opening tilted upwardly and an unloading position with the circular drum opening tilted downwardly,    a hopper unit having a chute that defines a passage,    a hopper unit actuating device for moving said hopper unit between a first position adjacent a front face of said housing wherein said chute passage communicates with said circular drum opening such that launderable items deposited into said chute are directed into said drum through said front opening during a loading cycle and a second position in which said chute is located remote from said circular drum opening to permit removal of launderable items through said circular drum opening during an unloading cycle,    said hopper unit including a splash door that is movable an opened position for permitting passage of items through said first position and a closed position in which said splash door at least partially closes said chute passage,    a splash door actuating device for moving said splash door between said opened and closed positions, and    said chute having an effective passage area defined by the smallest cross-sectional area of said chute passage through which launderable items can be directed which is at least 83 percent of the area of said circular drum opening.    
   
   
       46 . The laundry machine of  claim 45  in which said shoot has a rounded bottom portion positionable adjacent a rounded bottom portion of said circular drum opening.  
   
   
       47 . A laundry machine comprising: 
 a housing,    a drum rotatably mounted within said housing and having a circular front opening through which launderable items may be introduced and withdrawn    said housing and drum being tiltable between a horizontal operating position and a loading position with the circular drum opening tilted upwardly and an unloading position with the circular drum opening tilted downwardly,    a hopper unit having a chute that defines a passage,    a hopper unit actuating device for moving said hopper unit between a first position adjacent a front face of said housing wherein said chute passage communicates with said circular drum opening such that launderable items deposited into said chute are directed into said drum through said front opening during a loading cycle and a second position in which said chute is located remote from said circular drum opening to permit removal of launderable items through said circular drum opening during an unloading cycle,    said hopper unit including a splash door that is movable an opened position for permitting passage of items through said first position and a closed position in which said splash door at least partially closes said chute passage,    a splash door actuating device for moving said splash door between said opened and closed positions,    said chute having a rounded bottom portion positionable adjacent a rounded bottom portion of said circular drum opening, and    said chute having an effective passage area defined by the smallest cross-sectional area of said chute passage through which launderable items can be directed which is at least 80 percent of the area of said circular drum opening.